Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to follow up on some of my questions earlier on the personnel policy. I did not intend to imply any type of motive in my questioning. No, I did not, Mr. Todd. My question, Mr. Speaker, is that the Premier said he reviewed the personnel policy and thought it was good. He did not see any changes needed. What type of review did the Premier do on the personnel policy and who was involved? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have reviewed that with my secretary to Cabinet. We looked at it and those policies have been in place and they seem to work well for the government. So I do not see any changes to those policies in the near future. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Executive Office of the Premier, there was a Secretariat for Personnel. I find it hard to contemplate that a review is done with just the Premier and another person. Did not the Premier go outside of his own office and look at this policy with some experts that we have available to us, functions within the different government departments to review this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Why? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Because we looked at the policy and we did not see any need for change, if the honourable Member would like to suggest some changes, we would be happy to hear them. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to suggest that people should not be able to opt out by running to the chairman of the FMB. My supplementary question, Mr. Speaker, is on the review that the Premier has done, has he found any problem on legalities of contracting former employees of this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Picco, the question is ruled out of order. You cannot ask a Minister to give a legal opinion. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did write a letter to the president of NTI in August, 1996, I believe. I may have the dates wrong but it was in 1996, for us to be invited to NTI to do a presentation on any community empowerment initiatives. I have also talked to both people, the Interim Commissioner and also the president of NTI, about the Keewatin pilot project. They have not responded yet. We have had the KIA president attending the Keewatin pilot project. Up until today, he has not raised any concerns with the Keewatin pilot project. He has been attending all the meetings. Because we have said we will implement the articles in the Nunavut final agreement, I do not know what the concerns would be. Up until today, I have not had any response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Mr. Speaker, return to written question 5-13(5), asked by Mr. Krutko to the Premier, concerning operating guidelines for senior and management personnel.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has Ethics Guidelines that apply to all GNWT employees. These guidelines are found in the Ethics section of the Human Resource Manual. Guidelines include directives regarding: oaths of office and secrecy; conflict of interest with respect to political activity; conflict of interest with respect to outside employment; and code of conduct and ethics. I have provided all numbers with copies of these directives from the Human Resource Manual.

Accountability mechanisms that apply to all senior managers and employees alike include: Canadian and territorial legislations and regulations, such as section 34 of the Public Service Act which inhibits political partisanship, GNWT policies and directives including the Affirmative Action Policy, the Financial Administration Manual and the Handbook for Senior Managers, as well as the various employment contracts.

Thank you. Returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations has the honour of presenting its report on the review of the Report of the Auditor General to the NWT Legislative Assembly for the year ended March 31, 1996.

Mr. Speaker, this is the second year under the Standing Committee on Government Operations' mandate that it has met to consider the Auditor General's Annual Report. The 13th Assembly's committee structure allows the Government of Operations Committee to consider the Auditor General's comments in conjunction with other relevant issues, which have been considered by the committee before, rather than in isolation.

The standing committee met to review the Auditor General's report on November 19th through November 21st. The first day of meetings was devoted to briefings by the Auditor General's staff and committee staff on the nature of the public accounts, the auditing process, the review process by the Auditor General's report and the issues raised in that report. The second day, November 20th, was a public meeting at which the committee members took the opportunity to discuss the relevant issues with the Comptroller General, Mr. Lew Voytilla and the president of the Housing Corporation, Mr. David Murray. On the third day, November 21st, the committee met with Mr. Glenn Soloy, president of the NWT Development Corporation and Mr. David Hamilton, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, to discuss the issues from the Auditor General's report relevant to their responsibilities. Committee members addressed a number of important issues arising from the report, as well as issues raised in previous committee reports.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the introductory comments on Committee Report 6-13(5) and I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Committee Report 6-13(5) be received by the Assembly and moved into committee of the whole for consideration. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Erasmus, your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Mr. Ng.

BILL 14 An Act to Amend the Legislative Retiring Allowances Act and the Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act